PART 1: MY BEGINNING 1944-1958

My story begins with the immigration of many French Canadians to the textile mill valleys of New England during the nineteenth century. My grandfathers, who both died before I was born, emigrated from the Province of Quebec. My grandmothers were first generation American-born and grew up ten miles from each other in the Quinebaug River Valley in the mill towns of Putnam and North Grosvenordale, Connecticut. As was the custom in nineteenth and twentieth century Catholic America, ethnic groups found a home in “national” parishes since “territorial” parishes spoke only English and were oftentimes Irish. From my grandparents through the early decades of my life, church and family were at the center of our lives and intimately linked.

My parents spoke French but not as well as my grandmothers who were fluently bi-lingual. My parents never taught French to my brothers and me and spoke French only when they didn’t want the boys to understand. I eventually learned French from my paternal grandmother and the parochial school.

I began first grade in September 1950 at Saint Mathieu’s parochial school, which was taught entirely by the Sisters of Saint Anne, a community of nuns founded in the Province of Quebec. During the morning all the classes were taught in English. During the afternoon, all classes were in French. At church the Sunday masses were in Latin with the sermon and announcements being in French. Our boy scout troop was parish-based as well as the summer camp my brothers and I attended during the first two weeks of July. In the fourth grade I became an altar boy. By the seventh grade I regularly attended daily mass and the evening church devotions during the month of Mary (May) and the month of the Rosary (October).